Apparatus for distributing time-signals over lines employed for other purposes



(No Model.) A

I I. WALDO.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING TIME SIGNALS OVER LINES EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

N0. 296,653. Patented Apr. 8, 1884,

A I T- I VEN OR yd flaw/1. A A M WzZA N. PETERS Photo-Lillwgmphor. Waih'mgton, n. c.

V UNITED rams PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK IVALDO, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEONARD \VALDO OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING TIME-SIGNALS OVER LINES EMPLOYED FOR .OTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette Application filed Janu To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK WALDO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in distributing standard time from a central station over a number of electric lines radiating therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in the application to a central-office system of lines normally grounded at the central office, and used for any form of electrical communication, of a common transmitting device controlled by a standardtime keeper, and adapted to be at any desired moment included in the circuit common to all the wires, so as to send out electrical time-indicating impulses over all the lines simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 shows the application of my invention to an ordinary central office switch-board of a telephone system; and Fig. Zshows a modified form in which provision is made for equalizing the resistance of all the lines, so that the electric impulse may be equally distributed over them.

In Fig. 1, 1, 2, and 3 are subscribers lines extending out to the sub-stations, where they each normally pass through the call-bell B to ground, and are provided with a switch in the usual manner, which may be turned to put the telephone T in circuit. In the drawings, the ordinary receiving call-bell, B, and the receiving-telephone T simply indicate the whole station apparatus, which will consist of transmitter, induction-coil, and local battery, all so well known as to call "for no further illustration. At the central station they terminate each in an ordinary vertical bar, A, of the switch-board, cross-bars a being provided for connecting together any two incoming lines. Each bar A is provided, as usual, with a spring-jack, O, from which connection is made through annunciator D to the common ground. The common ground-connection in this case passes by common line 4, through a switch consisting of armature-leverf of amagnet, F, to back stop, I), and by line 5 to ground N.

I apply my invention to the above-described system by arranging to include at any desired moment the transmitter or circuit-controller rs Patent No. 296,653, dated April 8, 1884.

ary 17, 1834. (No model.)

E and battery L in the common ground-line. The transmitter 'E, for purposes of illustration, is shown as a series of contact-points adapted to be included in circuit by the movement of switch-lever f. The transmitter and battery are controlled by a standard-time keeper, so as to be included in the circuit at any desired interval and send any desired character of impulse over the line.

C represents the standard-time keeper; and MI is a small local battery whose circuit-wires connect with the mechanism of C, so that the circuit is automatically closed thereby once a day, once an hour, or at any other interval desired. In the circuit of M is included the magnet F, so that on every closure of the circuit the armature of F is drawn up. By this movement the armature-lever f breaks contact withb and moves over the contact-points of transmitter E. There are shown in this instance two contact-points, so that three impulses from battery L will be sent over the lines every time that f is drawn up and retracted, two contacts being made on the direct and one on the return movement of the lever. In this case the exact time would probably be indicated by the last impulse, theothers being preliminary and attracting the attention. Any other number or arrangement of impulses may be sent, or any code of time-signals may be transmitted as often as is desired.

I do not limit myself to any specific signal or interval of sending. I prefer, however, that the signal should be sent a few times a day and be received on the call-bell B at the subscribers station. They may be received by the telephone and be sent as often as once a minute. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the signaling-current passes through the annunciators, and it may be of the proper strength and polarity to drop all of them, which would be objectionable. I therefore provide a light bar, H, having a number of proj ections, S, normally resting just above the drops of the annunciators, but out of their paths of movement, and whenever an impulse nunciator-plates is sent over the lines, bar H magnets HH, and projections S drawn down in front of the drops, so as to prevent their .from battery L of a character'to drop the anis simultaneously depressedby the action of falling. Magnets H H are in the circuit of a strong local battery, K, which is closed by a relay-magnet, G, in the circuit of M with magnet F.

RVhen the various lines are of different resistance, it may be necessary to make them approximately equal by artifici al resistance whenever the time-signal is sent out. I accomplish this without putting any resistance in the main lines by the means shown in Fig. 2. Instead of the lines being all in permanent connection with line 4.- after leaving the annunciators, they terminate in contacts c,which normally rest on plate which is controlled by magnet P in circuit with magnet F or G, and is connected with the ground. Branch lines, each containing a resistance, It, complementa'ry to its respective main-line resistance, lead to a common line, 4, which is connected to f, as before. hen, now, a signal is sent, the normal ground of each line is broken at c, and the end left open, while a new connection is made from the ground by battery L, transmitter E, armature-lever f, line 4, to the various lines and their respective resistances.

My invention may be applied to any central office system having lines normally grounded and used for any purpose, and it may also be used for controlling clocks on the various lines, as well as for giving indications on the ordinary apparatus of the line or other electrical indicator. In all cases the time-signal is additional to the ordinary apparatus and function of the line. The time-keeper 0 may be at the central oifice or in any other convenient location.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office, said lines being normally connected to a common conductor at the central office, a generator and a circuit controller or transmitter common to said lines, a standard-time keeper, means for actuating said circuit-controller in correspondence with said time-keeper,apparatus on each line adapted to receive time-signals, and electrical communicating apparatus on the lines additional to said time-signal-receiving apparatus.

2. The combination of a number of lines eX- tending from a central oi'iice, said lines being normally connected to a common ground at the central office, and containing electrical communicating or signaling apparatus, a common transmitting device for simultaneously sending electrical impulses over said lines to actuate said signaling apparatus, and a standard-time keeper controlling the transmitting device.

3. The combination of a number of telephone-lines extending from a central office, a common transmitting device for simultaneously sending electric impulses over said lines, a standard-time keeper controlling said transmitting device, and ordinary receiving-instruments at the subscribers station responding to said impulses.

4. The combination of a number of lines ex tending from a central office, a common ground therefor at the central office, a common generator and transmitting device, and means controlled by a standardtime keeper for simultaneously connecting all of said lines with said generator and transmitter.

5. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office, a common groundconnection therefor at said central office, a common transmitting device, and means for breaking said normal ground-connection and establishing a common ground connection through said transmitting device.

6. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office, a common groundconnection therefor at said central office, a common transmitting device, and means controlled by a standard-time keeper for breaking said normal groundconnection and establishing a common ground-connection through said transmitting device.

7. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office, a common groundconnection therefor at said central office, a common generator and transmitter, a switch for including the generator and transmitter in said common ground-connection, an electromagnet controlling said switch, and a standardtime keeper controlling the circuit of said electro-magnet.

8. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central oilice, each including an annunciator, means for simultaneously sending an electrical impulse over said lines, and a mechanical stop for preventing the fall of the annunciator-drop under the influence of said impulses.

9. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office and including different resistances, means for sending an electrical impulse over said lines from a common connecting -line, and adjusting resistances adapted to be included in said lines during the transmission of said impulse.

10. The combination of a number of lines extending from a central office, a common ground therefor at said central office, means for break- FR ANK \VALDO.

Vitnesses:

E. M. BENTLEY, H. E. Knierrr. 

